STUDENTS’ "RUG”

Taranaki Daily News, 6 May 1930, Page 16

STUDENTS’ "RUG”

CAR ON PAVEMENTWHEEZING BUT RISKY. A sequel to the university tournament was heard in the Magistrate’s Court when Gordon H> D. Grant was charged with driving a motor-car in a manner dangerous, to the public, and permitting a motor-vehicle oti the footpath in Queen Street. The case possessed bright and entertaining features. Mr. McKean, S.M., who described the escapade as stupid, dismissed the dangerous driving charge and fined defendant £1 and costs for the second offeiice. The car in question was an ancient 1914 model, employed by rollicking university students in a novel advertising scheme, with the internal workings held together with bits of wire and other incidentals. Wheezing hoarsely the car meandered, with the aid of man-power, through the city streets, and by way of adding variety to the route mounted the footpath and made a detour through Queen’s Arcade. Protesting that the car was not capable of being driven in a dangerous manner Mr. V. N. Hubble, for defendant, admitted that a breach had been committed through the’ car being on the pavement, but he entered a plea of not guilty on the more serious charge. :..The circumstances of’ the case, 11£. said, were unusual; and any remarks he might make were not’ designed to excuse the organisation responsible for the “rag,” but to show that the whole thing was amusing at the moment. The organisation to which he- referred was known, as the Hongi Club, and its members conceived the idea of using a £lO car as a medium /for advertising the university swimming carnival during Easter week. They accordingly secured the car, and the remarkable part about the whole affair was that the car went. It had a 1914 chassis and the body was tacked together with bits of wood. It had to be seen. t° be believed, as it was painted with white and blue stripes. The students, during the. course of the “rag,” made a bit of noise as they had tiu-cans trailing behind the ear which had been christened “Hongi, added Mr. Hubble. The old vehicle was driven down Queen Street at 10 miles an hour and on frequent occasions had to be assisted on its way. Defendant probably would have heard nothing about the incident but for the fact that tlie car was turned on to the footpath and driven through Queen’s xArcade out to Customs Street. In the process of arranging the detour the students created a considerable amount of noise and the public had plenty of warning that the car was about to cross the footpath. It was not a caso of a car racing across tho crowded footpath but a case of one being, pushed across. <; No sane person-■ would do what 09fentoal dsetaed Mr.- Hogan, al

the city council traffic department, “as the footpath was crowded, at the time and the car was driven through private property. “There was real danger in the escapade as despite the fact that the car only cost £lO, it was quite capable of moving at a fair pace, and in a manner dangerous to the- public. On the other hand it was quite possible that the brakes were not functioning properlv.

The traffic officer who was on point duty when the incident occurred naid that - there were) large crowds on the footpaths where the car entered and emerged from the arcade. “It was a stupid thing to do,” said Mr. McKean in imposing the penalty.. “If I fine defendant for driving oil the footpath that will be sufficient.”